Top 5 Communication Apps for the Deaf in 2014

Technology still plays a major role in the lives of people who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing. Companies ranging from Apple to Samsung have many ways to provide access to communication. There are various ways for people to reach each other to have a conversation. Texting, emailing, and video chatting are all types of communication methods. With more and more people using technology these days, it’s even more important for app development to meet the needs of various generations. With over-saturation of apps on both the Apple store and Google Play, it has become harder to find the good ones.

Here are some apps that have been selected as favorites by the TSG staff. These apps can be found in the Apple Store. TSG chose to use this article to focus on specific apps that help with communication access and productivity.

These are the top 5 apps that were found to be the best ones that Apple had to offer:

Telegram: Think of Telegram as a telegram. Except it is using modern technology. Telegram is basically SMS and email combined making this type of communication extremely fast, versatile, and powerful. The user can send anything and the best part is that it is cloud-based and heavily encrypted. Telegram is free.

What makes “Telegram” stand out: It has secret chats. That is, if people really want secure messaging.

Conspiracies are going around the internet with security features on websites being questioned. With those affecting the peace of mind of many people, Telegram is a great solution. They don’t record or save anything without the user’s permission. It is also good to use in business meetings, appointments, and so forth. The potential of this app is unlimited.

Bubble App: Bubble is an application that is a chat client app that does not requires account logins. Yet, the user can get a random user name creation and a open room to chat in. According to Apple App Store Website, they write that Bubble Chat allows the user to connect and chat anonymously with the people around them. They also boast that the user can use it in classrooms, events or even at a party and share photos with everyone who’s at the party.

WhatsApp: WhatsApp is now owned by Facebook, before Facebook had acquired the app, WhatsApp was the best chat messaging service all over the world. WhatsApp is, according to their website, a pun for What’s up? WhatsApp is an cross-platform mobile messaging app that allows the user to exchange message without having to pay a single dime for SMS. Best part, people can get the app free for the first year. After the first year, the cost is .99 cents annually.

Google Hangout: A lot of businesses are using Google Hangout to do most of their communication as well as using it in conjunction with Google Air. Businesses have found Google Hangout beneficial since individuals can chat up to 10 people at a time. The best part is that people can do Google Hangout on any of the latest devices.

Sidecar, Uber, and Lyft: TSG felt the need to share the last app because it has increased efforts of communication. The lives of Deaf and Hard of Hearing people has been better because of it. When people rely on public transportation, being given a choice on how to pay the driver is gratifying. Deaf customers have had a long history of difficulties communicating with taxi drivers. With apps such as Uber, Sidecar, etc deaf customers are able to tell the driver exactly where they want to go using GPS and know exactly how much it is going to cost.